GOODQUESTION Readers Weigh In
What is the biggest supply chain lesson you learned from the past two years?
CLOSE COORDINATION AND SUPPORT throughout every point of the supply chain is the new normal. Disruptions have had a lasting impact on customer confidence. Detail- oriented supply chain management, enhanced customer service, and data-driven inventory decisions are essential to reestablishing a chain of confidence. —Angela McNally Vice President, Global Provider Solutions, Owens & Minor THE SUPPLY CHAIN IS RIPE FOR INNOVATION. A singular disruption impacts a sequence of events, creating inefficiencies. The positive outcome of this unprecedented market cycle is collaboration across the supply chain Any Way They Want It
resulting in technology solutions. This improves productivity by getting goods to shelves efficiently on a go-forward basis. —Blair Blake VP, Carrier Strategy, Arrive Logistics
Be bold to embrace change during challenging times. Move quickly and with purpose. —Kevin Williamson CEO, RJW Logistics Group
I’VE LEARNED NOT TO TAKE CONSISTENT AIR AND OCEAN
SUPPLY CHAINS FOR GRANTED. The past two years have been inefficient, making delays commonplace and causing deficits and surpluses of inventory due to increased freight costs. The solution is to stay informed
THE FRAGILITY OR BRITTLENESS OF A GLOBAL MARKETPLACE so deeply dependent on just-in-time inventory. Any event, whether a pandemic, hurricane, or a container ship stuck in the Suez Canal, creates immediate disarray. In response, retailers have reverted to “just-in-case” practices, building up large safety stocks. It has become a choice between risking a stock-out or keeping costly excessive inventory. Where is the balance? —Joe Dagnese President and CEO PECO Pallet SUPPLY CHAIN PROFESSIONALS SHOULD USE THE EXPERIENCES of 2020 and 2021 to take a fresh look at their supply networks, understand their vulnerabilities, and then take the appropriate actions to improve resilience. Doing so can create competitive advantage; failing to do so leaves an opening to the competition. Supply networks may contain potentially crippling risks, and organizations must identify and remediate them. —Oliver Lemanski CEO, OnProcess
and listen to suppliers, freight forwarders, and consumers.
—Richard Huang CEO, Cloudious9
Adaptation is absolutely critical. You have to offer substitutes, source creatively, have a plan B and maybe even C, and be vigilant in getting accurate data. —Kevin Ledversis Sales Director, Newcastle Systems
It’s more important than ever to “architect” agility into processes. The growing complexity of supply chains introduces plenty of opportunities for things to go awry. The more shippers can digitize and standardize manual operations, the better equipped you are to pivot when needed and keep shipments moving. —Virgil Ferreira COO, Rate Management, Magaya
14 Inbound Logistics • January 2022
Powered by FlippingBook